Life behind the bars

Kamilcom (GB1)

I have long wanted to post this suggestion for forum management, so finally have a bit more gaming / foruming time to do it.

When players are given warning their profile picture is put behind the bars. Some players expressed that to be humiliating experience. Is that not "naming and shaming", something which GGS own rules forbid? Am I correct to expect that these rules apply not only to players, but to GGS representatives also? Is that necessary for everybody to know that somebody is in conflict with community management team to the point that they received warning? Shouldn't it rather stay a private information?

I understand that forums are not programmed by GGS and change may take a while. May I suggest, that if this is confirmed to be in contradiction to forum rules as stated above, that moderators refrain from putting people behind bars until the issue is sorted, and release those already behind bars immediately.

farmerjohn 22 (US1)

@Kamilcom (GB1)  I'm interested in what YOU would do if you were in the Mod's position and have a player who continues to ignore the forum guidelines. Our Mods could just BAN a player from the forum entirely, but they would rather not have to go to that extreme. The only option they have available to them is to put the bars on the player's avatar.  I myself don't consider it "naming and shaming", but a firm reminder to the player that they've been warned. 

artful (US1)

farmerjohn 22 (US1) said:

@Kamilcom (GB1)  I'm interested in what YOU would do if you were in the Mod's position and have a player who continues to ignore the forum guidelines. Our Mods could just BAN a player from the forum entirely, but they would rather not have to go to that extreme. The only option they have available to them is to put the bars on the player's avatar.  I myself don't consider it "naming and shaming", but a firm reminder to the player that they've been warned. 

I do think it's a form of shaming and it puts a dark mood on the forum -- since we always don't know what the bars are for, it makes people fearful to post anything.  Warn first, privately or publicly so that other players may also be reminded.  Then suspend for a period of time if it continues to happen.  Ban only if a player is abusive or the behavior continues.  That's the way many forums do it.  Might be worth trying.

SophiaLorraine (US1)

I don't have bars.........???  

farmerjohn 22 (US1)

SophiaLorraine (US1) said:

I don't have bars.........???  

We're referring to the cell bars that you sometimes see placed over a player's avatar, SoLo. 
They look like this........  

Kamilcom (GB1)

farmerjohn 22 (US1) said:

@Kamilcom (GB1)  I'm interested in what YOU would do if you were in the Mod's position and have a player who continues to ignore the forum guidelines. Our Mods could just BAN a player from the forum entirely, but they would rather not have to go to that extreme. The only option they have available to them is to put the bars on the player's avatar.  I myself don't consider it "naming and shaming", but a firm reminder to the player that they've been warned. 

I'm not ignoring you but I don't think it would be wise from me to elaborate on it further. I wish to leave the original post as a simple, non-confrontational suggestion for community team to consider without further comments from me for now.

WascallyWabbit (FormerMod)

@Kamilcom (GB1) The bars are a feature of the forum, not an option that GGS  can switch on or off & they are also not put on an account just for getting a warning, as you well know. It takes several warnings before they appear & the easiest way not to get them, is to not continuously break the rules of the forum.

LordoftheTeapot (GB1)

Lions should always be kept behind bars   

farmerjohn 22 (US1)

LordoftheTeapot (GB1) said:

Lions should always be kept behind bars   

@LordoftheTeapot (GB1)  I agree completely!